The invention relates to single lever controls, and, more particularly, to single lever controls for operating the clutch and throttle of a marine propulsion device.
A conventional single lever control includes a control lever movable between a neutral position and a drive position. When the lever is in the neutral position, the throttle is closed and the clutch is in neutral. Initial movement of the lever from the neutral position toward the drive position shifts the clutch into drive but does not open the throttle. After the clutch is shifted into drive, subsequent movement of the lever toward the drive position opens the throttle.
It is known to provide such a single lever control with means for affording warm-up of the engine, i.e., for permitting the throttle to be opened without shifting the clutch into drive. Such means can include a button which normally extends outwardly of the single lever control and which is pushed inwardly to afford engine warm-up. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,555, issued June 7, 1977.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,497, which is issued to the assignee hereof, discloses a single lever control including a control lever that is pulled outwardly to afford engine warm-up.
Attention is also directed to the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ 880,382 3,491,614 3,741,045 4,144,956 1,687,567 3,508,634 3,842,695 4,205,738 3,057,221 3,511,117 3,857,299 4,467,665 3,115,050 3,530,736 4,090,598 4,503,728 3,127,785 3,556,270 4,106,604 4,632,232 3,130,598 3,581,603 4,131,037 3,309,938 3,741,044 4,137,799 ______________________________________